
"For my father-in-law's funeral, there was a lot to do: I was the one who organized it. First, I
had to find formal dress for my deceased father-in-law. I bought all sorts of clothing to aid him
in the afterlife. Next, we had to invite monks to come and do a
ritual prayer. Also, someone was sent to find a proper resting place for my father-in-law's ashes. I had to find people to prepare food, to decide what kind of food, and to organize the post-funeral meal. Also, it goes against
tradition to hold the ceremony on any given day. It
has to be on a day that is in accordance with feng shui traditions."
Li-san Chen, April 2001
back to interviews